Gage County Residents Report Prize Fraud

BEATRICE – Gage County Sheriff’s officers say they are getting reports from citizens about fraudulent claims of winning a Publisher’s Clearing House prize, with people being notified over the phone.

Sheriff Millard Gustafson says a person calls claiming to be from the Publisher’s Clearing House, tells the person they’ve won a prize, asks for personal information…then later requests financial information.

Authorities say you should never offer information such as bank account or social security numbers, credit card numbers or other financial information to the person calling. The website for the Publisher’s Clearing House has a consumer section related to fraud and the Federal Trade Commission website also has a public awareness section on fraud, identity theft and scams.

Gustafson urges people who believe they may have been targeted by someone conducting a fraud or scam, to contact their local police or sheriff’s department. You can call the Gage County Sheriff’s Office at 402-223-5222 and speak to an investigator.